The merger of the Tennessee State University's institutional research office and the planning, management, and evaluation offices is described. The roles of the institutional research office before the merger were the collection and dissemination of institutional data, storing of data collected from other sources, and conducting special studies. The planning, management, and evaluation office's primary role was to improve the administrative areas. It was involved in management techniques such as management-by-objectives and prediction models. The consolidated offices now collect and interpret data, communicate results to the campus community, and conduct studies. As a result of the merger, the institutional research staff has become more active in the management decision-making process. Joint activities include: the management-by-objectives process, cost study analysis, student data analysis, study of the committee structure of the university, study of resource allocation and utilization, development of a comprehensive five-year plan, development of a policy and procedures manual, development of an organizational chart and methods for evaluating the Advanced Institutional Development Program, defining responsibilities of positions at the institution, evaluation of system processes, and revamping the statistical data base. The two offices work both jointly and independently on projects and their influence and visibility in the university have expanded. (SW)